Officials confirmed that all eight towers had faulty fire alarms that never went off. Many residents woke up only to choking smoke or the sound of neighbours shouting. (Photo: AFP)
A massive blaze that tore through a residential estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has become the city’s deadliest fire in decades. At least 128 people have died, and nearly 200 residents remain missing after flames spread across high-rise towers at frightening speed. Seven of the eight buildings at the Wang Fuk Court estate caught fire within minutes.
Officials confirmed that all eight towers had faulty fire alarms that never went off. Many residents woke up only to choking smoke or the sound of neighbours shouting. With stairwells quickly filling with heat and fumes, people tried to escape in darkness, guided only by cries from other apartments.
Renovation work was underway when the fire began. Bamboo scaffolding wrapped in plastic netting surrounded multiple buildings. This combination ignited instantly, turning the exterior of the towers into vertical fire channels. Flames raced upwards, cutting off escape routes and trapping hundreds.
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than 40 hours before bringing it under control. Emergency teams searched nearly 1,800 apartments, leading survivors out and recovering dozens of bodies. More than 79 people suffered injuries, including several first responders.
At makeshift shelters nearby, emotional scenes unfolded as families clutched photos of missing relatives. Many inspected lists of the deceased, hoping for closure. Among them was Mirra Wong, who said she feared a recovered body might be her father. “My dad’s body is still missing here,” she said tearfully.
The tragedy struck Hong Kong’s migrant domestic worker community hard. Dozens lived in the damaged towers. Nineteen Filipino domestic workers remain missing, while two Indonesian helpers have been confirmed dead.
Police have arrested several people linked to the renovation project, including contractors and engineering consultants. Investigators allege that flammable materials and the failure of alarm systems contributed directly to the scale of the disaster. Authorities will now reassess renovation safety rules across the city.
The Hong Kong government has opened temporary shelters, announced financial aid, and ordered inspections of other high-rise estates undergoing repairs. Officials say more bodies may be recovered as structural checks continue.
The fire has raised urgent questions about building safety standards in one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Faulty alarms and dangerous renovation practices turned a routine project into a catastrophic inferno — one that Hong Kong will struggle to forget.
